About STFF
Inaugurated in 2012 by the TACAWA Film Committee, Seattle Turkish Film Festival has become one of the most admired and venerated events of the Turkish American Cultural Association of Washington. The film festival is a non-profit, volunteer-driven event, committed to bringing the best of Turkish films to Seattle in an effort to provide an international platform for talented filmmakers working in both short and feature length formats to showcase their work.
Read Washington State Governor Jay Inslee's Proclamation of Turkish Republic Day and Turkish Heritage Month.
Meet the Team
Semih Tareen
Festival Director
Originally from Izmir, Turkey, but now a Seattle-native for nearly 30 years, Semih works as a scientist in biotech and composes music for B-horror movies that he also co-produces.
Irem Gokce Aydin
Director of Shorts Programming
Working as a software engineer, also contributing to the team as a videographer and website developer, Irem has a passion for art. As a film lover, she is very excited and honored to be a part of ever-growing Seattle Turkish Film Festival.
Latife Lacin
Director of Partnerships
Latife works for a non-profit and loves diving into human creativity.
Melike Yucel Koc
Academic Advisor
Melike Yucel-Koc is an assistant teaching professor of Ottoman & Turkish Studies at the University of Washington. She is an oral historian, working with immigrant communities in PNW. Loves languages, history, & any form of art.
Ela Furat
Director of Feature Programming
Ela holds a PhD in Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design from Turkey and spent a year as a fellow at the University of Washington. Initially focused on photography, Ela shifted to film and earned a BA in Film from the Seattle Film Institute. Now based in Seattle for 12 years, Ela works as a freelance filmmaker, writing and directing short films.
Ebru Yildirim
Event Coordinator
Growing up watching Yesilcam (what Turkish film and art industry was called in old days) movies, Ebru believes Turkish cinema still has many interesting, mesmerizing, powerful stories to tell and share. She helps with marketing and special events for the festival. On her spare times she works as a Financial Analyst.
Guven Kara
Programming and Content Creation
Güven has a master’s degree in Cinema and Television and has gained a lot of experience working on film sets. He has won awards at international film festivals with his films. He continues to work on his new movie project. His love for cinema brings him joy and inspires his work.
STFFShorts Program
Ezgi Irmak Yucel
STFFShorts Advisor and Programming
An applied researcher with a PhD in Experimental Psychology. Outside of the world of research and data science, Ezgi is very passionate about bringing communities together. Likes orcas, KEXP, and of course movies.
Duygu Aktas
STFFShorts Programming
Duygu is at her happiest if she is at a live show, cinema or yoga studio. She loves the Turkish riviera, slow mornings with a good cup of coffee, Seattle sunsets and all the cities and beaches she has not been to yet. Duygu believes she can solve all her problems with a glass of Cabernet and the movie “The Shining.”
Didem Demirkilinc Ibis
STFFShorts Programming
Didem is an Electronics Engineer and has been working in the telecommunications industry for almost 20 years. She loves watching movies and series, and also enjoys symphonies and ballet. She’s involved with non-profit organizations in WA and volunteers whenever she gets the chance.
Nural Sumbultepe
STFFShorts Programming
Born and raised in Ä°skenderun, Hatay, Nural journeyed through eight countries as an English teacher and lecturer, with academic roles at METU, UBC, SFU, and NAU. Now, she teaches in a public school in Canada. For a decade, she served as the art director and panel organizer at VTFF, and now she contributes to the film selection teams for the VIFF, STFF, and MENA Film Festival.
STFFShorts Program Screeners and Festival Volunteers
Berke Can
Ceren Verbowski
Gokhan Duymaz
Osman Ibis
Cansu Gurler
Esra Yaz
Nur Ozyurt
Toghrul Jafarov
Advisory Committee
Sirin Aysan
Festival Advisor
Sirin Aysan is a television producer and filmmaker. She has produced acclaimed series and specials for major broadcasters and streaming platforms. Sirin has covered stories around the globe and is the recipient of the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for her work on “Child Brides” for PBS. The television programs she has directed have been nominated for Emmy, Prism, and Telly awards.
Demet Kitis
Programming Advisor
Demet studied business in Turkey with Master's degrees in Marketing. Enjoys drawing cartoons and illustrating stories. Loves the 7th art.
Selim Kuru
Organization Advisor
Selim S. Kuru is an Associate Professor of Ottoman and Turkish studies in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization at the University of Washington.
Ozgur Arman
Festival Advisor
Film enthusiast. :)
Sarah Anderson
Creative Advisor
Joining us at the end of 2022, Sarah refreshed our logo and established a brand identity, and art directed and designed our '23 and '24 campaign creative. Film is one of Sarah's favorite art forms. She believes its ability to teach, inspire awe, and put us in a good mood makes it a truly valuable form of healing and connection.
Our Partners
Contact Us
STFF is organized by a dedicated group of community volunteers. Your support enables us to continue bringing the very best of Turkish Cinema to Pacific Northwest audiences. Follow us on social media to keep updated!